MISSION, Texas (ValleyCentral) — A Mission woman was sentenced Thursday to federal prison for trafficking $1 million worth of crystal meth and black tar heroin, federal authorities announced.
Cristina Inez Marquez, 28, was sentenced to nearly 16 years in prison on a charge of possession with intent to distribute more than 31 kilograms of meth, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Texas.
On Dec. 29, 2021, Marquez was driving a gray Ford Explorer northbound on Highway 281 near Alice, Texas. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and discovered that the fuel tank had been “tampered with and removed,” the release stated.
Upon further inspection, authorities found 12 bundles of crystal meth and black tar heroin, confirmed later by an analysis.
The testing confirmed there was 69 pounds of crystal meth at 95% purity, and 13 pounds of black tar heroin. The drugs had an estimated street value of $1.3 million, the release stated.
Marquez pleaded guilty to the charge on April 28, 2022. Following her prison sentence, Marquez was ordered to serve five years of supervised release, authorities said.
